M brown



July 16, 1963 A. M. BROWN 3,097,510

NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS IN KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1960 7Sheets-Sheet l 9 INVEN TOR July 16, 1963 3,097,510

NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS IN KNITTING MACHINES 7 Filed Dec 8, 1960 A.M. BROWN) 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 /NVEA/TOR y WJ A TTOR/VE) A. M. BROWN July16, 1963 NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS IN KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8,1960 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 M/IVENTOR w L L M 7 9 UH T L P EH w;

A. M. BROWN 3,097,510

NEEDLE 'sELEcTINc MECHANISMS IN KNITTING MACHINES July 16, 1963- 7Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed De. a, 1960 IN VEN TOR TORIVE Y July 16, 1963 A. M.BROWN 3,097,

NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS IN KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8. 1960 7Sheets-Sheet 5 M/l/ENT R W 4; 02:5; 36 4 ATTORNEY A. M. BROWN July 16,1963 NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS IN KNITTING MACHINES 7 Sheets-Sheet 6Filed Dec. 8, 1960 lM/ENTOR fatal-wa July 16, 1963 A. M. BROWN 3,097,510

NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS IN KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 8, 1960 7Sheets-Sheet 7 IN VENTOR A TORNEY United State ent 3,097,510 PatentedJuly '16, 1963 dice 3,0?7,510 NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS IN KNITTINGMAUHHNES Albert M. Brown, Leicester, England, assignor to G. Stibbe &Co. Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Filed Dec. 8, 1960,Ser. No. 74,538 Claims priority, application Great Britain Dec. 14, 195912 Claims. (Cl. 66-50) This invention relates to needle selectingmechanism provided in knitting machines equipped with independentneedles.

Although the invention is primarily applicable to circular knittingmachines of the independent latch needle type such, for example, asmulti-feed hose machines adapted to produce stockings either in theinitial form of wholly circularly knitted blanks or with heels and toesformed by reciprocatory knitting, there is no limitation in this respectsince, broadly, the invention may also be applied to, say, flat andstraight-bar machines.

Now in certain knitting machines, especially multi-feed hose machineswhich have needle cylinders of small diameter, problems arise as aconsequence of the small amount of space around the cylinders, and incases where such machines are required to execute complicated patterningoperations involving the employment of needle selecting mechanisms ofdiiferent kinds, the restrictions in the space available for theaccommodation of such mechanisms are particularly severe.

Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide, in aknitting machine equipped with independent needles, an improvedarrangement of needle selecting mechanisms designed to assist in thesolution of problems arising from the aforementioned space restrictions.

According to this invention there are provided at least two separate anddistinct independently operable needle selecting mechanisms which aredisposed at diiferent heights and wherein there are, in association witheach of the needles requiring to be influenced at predetermined times bythe said two independently operable needle selecting mechanisms, twoseparate and independent needleactuating jacks both arranged in the sameneedle trick or groove as, and in alignment with, the needle, andinterposed between these two jacks, a spacer element which is alsoaccommodated in the same trick or groove and aligned with the needle butis so formed as to enable it to be acted upon and moved longitudinally,to transmit a corresponding movement to the needle, by either of the twoindependent selectively actuated jacks without disturbing the other,whereby the aforesaid two independently operable needle selectingmechanisms are adapted to effect selections of needles for respectivelydifierent purposes and either of two such mechanisms can be operatedwithout interfering with the other.

The spacer elements provided between the two sets of jacks areaccordingly in the nature of longitudinally slidable movementtransmitters.

The primary purpose of providing the spacer elements is to effecteconomy in space and to enable the said two separate and independentlyoperable needle selecting mechanisms to be provided, if necessary, atone and the same needle selecting location and thereby to be disposed inalignment along a line perpendicular to the needle circle or the needleline, as the case may be.

In the preferred construction, each of the spacer elements is recessedat the front not only to receive one (for convenience hereinafterreferred to as the fi-rst) of the two associated needle-actuating jacksbut also to provide (a) a shoulder against which the leading end of thesaid first jack can act, and (b) at appropriate times a free spacebetween the opposite end of the first jack and a tail portion of thespacer element against which portion the second of the two associatedneedle-actuating jacks can act.

In order that the invention may be more clearly underderstood andreadily carried into practical effect, a specific constructionalarrangement of two separate and independently operable needle-selectingmechanisms provided at a feed of a circular multi-feed hose knittingmachine for the purposes of producing micro-mesh fabric and selectiveneedle splicing respectively will now be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein,

FIGURE 1 is 'a vertical sectional view through a portion of the knittinghead of such a machine, showing the needle, the two independentneedle-actuating jacks and the interposed spacer element in a singletrick or groove in the needle cylinder,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of one of the spacer elements per se,

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view, as seen from the outside ofthe machine, depicting a few of the knitting cams at two adjacent feedsof the machine, and showing the manner in which the first (upper)needleactuating jacks are acted upon for the purpose of raising allneedles to clearing height in the production of plain fabric,

FIGURE 4 is a detail view of cams included in the nib jack splicingsystem provided at each of desired feeds of the machine,

FIGURE 5 illustrates a few of the second or nib jacks included in themachine, and shows these in relation to the nib jack raising cam,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing the micno-meshneedle selecting mechanism employed at each appropriate feed of themachine,

FIGURE 7 illustrates, in diagrammatic fashion, the layout of the buttsand of the knitting cams at a feed when a nib jack splicing selecting ofthe needles is to be superimposed on normal clearing of the latter,

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view somewhat similar to FIGURE 3 depicting,in a more developed form, the manner in which the jacks, the spacerelements and the needles function whenever a nib jack splicing selectionof such needles is superimposed on normal clearing of the latter,

FIGURE 9 is a view somewhat similar to FIGURE 7 showing how a splicingselection of the needles can also be superimposed on a further selectionof the needles to produce micro-mesh fabric, and

FIGURE 10 is a diagram illustrating a plain spliced area withinmicro-mesh fabric in the foot of a stocking this being one example ofwork which can be produced on the machine shown in the previous figures.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout thedrawings.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it will be seen that the circular seamless hosemachine to which the needle selecting arrangement now to be described isapplied includes a needle cylinder -1 which has formed therein axiallyextending tricks or grooves in in the upper end of each of which isaccommodated an independent latch needle 2. There is thus -a circularset of needles each of which is furnished with an operating butt 2a.Co-operating with the said needles is a circular set of sinkers, such asthat indicated at 3, these sinkers being mounted in an annular bed 4 andcontrolled by cams fitted to a sinker cam cap 5. The machine may beequipped with a conventional welting mechanism (not shown) comprising adial mounted above the needle cylinder 1 and a circular set of weltinstruments (transfer points) accommodated in this dial.

operating butts 9s.

The machine has a plurality of feeds at each of which i is provided amouthpiece 6 (FIGURES 3 and 8) through which a main yarn Y from a yarnfeeder 6' is fed in at such a location as to enable it to be taken byneedles I raised to clearing height CH art that feed. At each feed, orat each of desired feeds, moreover, there is also provided, a littleabove the mouthpiece 6, a splicing feeder 7 for feeding in a splicingyarn Y at the height indicated at X in FIGURE 8 to enable said yarn tobe taken by needles raised to this height by a nib jack system at thatfeed.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided, inassociation with each of the needles 2 in the machine, a firstneedle-actuating jack 8 arranged below and in the same trick or grooveIn as the relevant needle. These first jacks 8 are primarily adapted tobe selectively operated by a micro-mesh needle selecting mechanismprovided at each feed, or at each of desired feeds, as the case may be.The jacks 8, however, may also be used for actuating the needlesselectively in the production of, say, a 1 x 1 welt. Associated witheach of a group of the needles in the machine requiring to be influencedat predetermined times by a selective needle splicing mechanism at eachfeed, or at each of desired feeds as aforesaid, there is also a secondneedle-actuating jack 9 arranged below and in the same trick or groove1a as the corresponding jack 8. The two jacks 8 and 9 in each of therelevant tricks or grooves 1a are separate and independently operable.Interposed between, and arranged in alignment in the same trick orgrooves as, these two jacks is a spacer element 10 which is so formed asto enable it to be 'acted upon and moved longitudinally, to transmit asimilar movement to the corresponding needle 2, by either of the twoselectively actuated jacks without disturbing the other. For conveniencethe first jacks 8 will hereinafter be referred to as the micro meshselector jacks, albeit that they can be used for other purposes.Similarly, the second jacks 9 will hereinafter be referred to as nibjacks.

As will be seen more clearly in FIGURES 1 and 6, each of the micro meshjacks 8 is furnished near its upper end with a top master butt 8a, abottom butt 8!) for use, inter alia, when producing a 1 x 1 welt and, ata predetermined position between these top and bottom butts, atriangular patterning butt 8c of saw tooth form. The micro mesh selectorjacks are, in fact, differentiated from one another by virtue of thepositions heightwise thereon of these patterning butts 80. Each jack 8may be formed, initially, with a full complement of frangible butts 80all or most of which, i.e. with the exception of one or two, are brokenoff.

As to the nib jacks 9, each of these is furnished, as shown more clearlyin FIGURES 1, 3 and 8, with an operating butt 9l or 9s and, at its lowerextremity, with a laterally directed projection or nib 9a. A centralpanel of the nib jacks, corresponding to the minimum width of a splicedarea to be produced have long operating butts Ql whilst the [remainderof the nib jacks flanking opposite sides of the said central panel have,in this particular example, short As will be appreciated by those Wellacquainted with the art concerned, however, a set of nib jacks havingonly long and short butts can only produce a spliced area which widensfrom a minimum width to a predetermined maximum width. If two or moreincreases in width are required, then the operating butts of the nibjacks must be divided up into three or more groups having butts ofrespectively different lengths. For example, for two increases in widththere must be a central panel of long butt nib jacks flanked on eachside by nib jacks having medium and short butts. For simplicity,however, a system having nib jacks with long and short butts only willbe considered in the following description.

Referring to FIGURES l and 2, it will be seen that each of the spacerelements 10 has formed in its front or outer longitudinal margin a longrecess 10a not only to receive a micro mesh selector jack 8, but also toprovide a shoulder lllb against which the leading or upper end of thesaid micro mesh selector jack can act, and the possibility atappropriate times of a free space s between the lower end of the jack 8and a tail portion of the spacer element 18 against which tail portionthe upper end of the corresponding nib jack 9 can act. Such a free spaces is shown in FIGURE 3. Thus, as will be appreciated, the actualrecessed portion 10d of each spacer element Ill is relatively thin toenable it to extend along the back edge of the corresponding jack 8 andto be accommodated in the same needle trick or groove la as the latter.The combined widths of the major or stem portion ltld of the spacerelement 10 and of the associated micro mesh selector jack 8 areapproximately equivalent to, or do not substantially exceed, the depthof the trick or groove 1a. The shouldered leading portion ltle and thetail portion 100 of each spacer element 10, however, project forwardlyfrom the major stem portion 18d thereof and present transverse shoulders18b and 1th to be acted upon by the jacks 8 and 9 respectively. It isthe possibility of the aforementioned free space s between the tailportion ltlc of the spacer element It) and the lower end of thecorresponding micro mesh selector jack accommodated within the saidelement which enables either of the two jacks 8 and 9 to be selectivelyactuated to advance the corresponding needle 2 to the appropriate extentwithout disturbing the other jack. Consequently, the nib jack 9 whenselectively actuated can advance the spacer element 10 and hence alsothe needle 2 to an extent equivalent to the length of the free space s(but no more) without moving the corresponding micro mesh selector jack8. In these circumstances, the nib jack 9 can be said to by-pass themicro-mesh selector jack 8. When, on the other hand, the jack 8 isselectively actuated, it engages the shoulder 10b on the leading portionltle of the spacer element 10 and can advance this element, and hencealso the associated needle 2, to any desired extent without affectingthe jack 9, this is because the spacer element 10 is separated from thejack 9.

In accordance with an optional feature of the invention, each of thespacer elements 10 may, if desired, it-

self be furnished with a butt 10g (constituted by an outward extensionof the tail portion 100) to enable it to be selectively actuatedindependently of either the associated independent jack 8 or 9. Thisfeature aecordingly enables the elements, in addition to being usedsimply as spacers and movement transmitters as hereinbefore described,also to be used on other occasions as intermediate needle-actuatingjacks capable of being Selectively actuated quite independently of themicro-mesh selector jacks and the nib jacks, thereby still furthereconomising in space.

The arrangement of the two jacks 8 and 9 and an interposed spacerelement 10, all in alignment with a needle 2, in each of the relevantcylinder tricks or grooves in, enables a micro mesh needle selectingmechanism and a quite separate and distinct independently operableselective needle splicing mechanism incorporating a nib jack system tobe provided one above the other at the same feed of the machine. Thus,at each feed, or at each of a lesser number of pro-arranged feeds, twosuch independently operable needle selecting mechanisms are provided inthe illustrated machine, these two mechanisms being disposed inalignment along a line I (FIGURES 7 and 9).

Before proceeding to briefly describe these needle selecting mechanisms,which are of conventional form, it should first be explained that thereare provided, in the cam box at each feed, an upthrow cam 11 for actionon the needle operating butts 2a to raise all of the needles to tuckingheight from a knocking-over position at the preceding feed, a stitch cam12 and, immediately in advance of the latter, a guard cam 13. There isalso provided, below a horizontal portion 13a of this guard cam 13 ateach feed, a jack raising cam 14 of the bolt type adapted, when movedinto its operative position, to act on the top master butts 3a of all ofthe micro-mesh selector jacks 8, for the purpose of raising these jacks,and hence also elevating all of the needles 2 from the tucking height tothe clearing height. As a consequence, these needles will have the oldloops cleared from their latches, and will take into their hooks themain yarn Y fed in through the feeder 6 so that the needles will knit toproduce plain fabric as they are retracted to knockover by virtue ofaction of the relevant stitch cam 12 upon their operating butts 2a. Allthis is clearly shown in FIGURE 3 wherein the jack raising cam 14 isshown in action so that plain fabric will be produced at the illustratedfeed. The needles 2 are, of course, raised to clearing height throughthe medium of the spacer elements 10, so that before this can happen,the micro-mesh selector jacks 8 have to be so moved relatively to thesaid elements that the upper ends of the jacks abut the shoulders -12and free spaces s occur between the lower extremities of the said jacksand the tail portions 100 of the spacer elements.

Now micro mesh fabric is produced, as is Well known, by a systematic andregular selection of a set of needles some to tuck and the remainder toclear, the set out of the clearing and tucking needles being, forexample 3 x 1 or some similar combination. In the specific exampleillustrated, the micro mesh needle selecting mechanism provided at thevertical line I at each feed, or at each appropriate feed, as the casemay be, conveniently includes, in addition to the complete circular setof micro-mesh selector jacks 8 furnished with the patterning butts 8cdifferentiated from one another by virtue of their positions heightwiseon the jacks, a bank of superimposed revolvable pattern drum discs 15corresponding in number with the number of such patterning buttpositions, the said discs being appropriately contoured peripherally andadapted to be driven from the needle cylinder 1 through the medium ofgearing designated generally by the numeral 16, a corresponding bank ofinclined and selectively operable cam slides 17 arranged for actionselectively upon the butts 8c and provided between the pattern drumdiscs 15 and the cam slides 17, a corresponding group of superimposedoperating levers 1%. These levers are selec tively actuated by the discs15 and in turn act selectively upon the cam slides 17. A micro-meshselection is effected in the illustrated example by first raising all ofthe micro-mesh selector jacks 8 to a height corresponding with tuckingheight of the needles 2, by means of a fixed cam 19 provided at the feedfor action on the bottom butts 8b on the said jacks, and thenselectively further raising predetermined ones of these partially raisedjacks from the said height to a height corresponding with clearingheight of the needles, by the selective action of the slides 17 upon thepatterning butts 8c. Dispositions of butts 20, 8'11, 8b and 80, duringselective actuation of the micro-mesh selector jacks 8 for theproduction of micro-mesh fabric, are depicted in the upper part of FIG-URE 9, the set out being such that the clearing and tucking needles arein a 3 x 1 relation.

The nib jack system for producing selective needle splicing at each feedor each appropriate feed is of the known form comprising a group of thenib jacks 9 and a cam system distributed about the vertical line I, atthe feed. This system includes a fixed starting cam 2% for action on allthe long butts 9l on the central panel of nib jacks 9 for the purpose ofraising the said panel of jacks from an idle position L to a workinglevel L, whilst permitting those nib jacks with short butts 9s to passby at the idle low position (see FIGURE 4). As will be seen in FIGURES7, 8 and 9, the short butts 9s pass idly under a guard cam 21. The nibjack cam system also includes a further nib jack raising cam 22 whichimmediately follows the fixed starting cam at the feed and is of thebolt type so that it can be withdrawn from, and projected into, itsoperative position at appropriate times. When the cam 22 is inoperative,long butts 9l raised to L by the starting cam 20 Will simply passbeneath a guard cam 23 and over the aforementioned guard cam 21. Butwhen the raising cam 22 is projected into its operative position, thelong butts 9l partially elevated by the fixed starting cam 20 will helanded on to the said raising cam and lifted by it to raise all of thecentral panel of long butt nib jacks to such a height as in turn toraise the corresponding needles 2, through the medium of the interposedspacer elements 10, to the splicing height X at which the needles takethe splicing yarn Y presented thereto by the feeder 7. At the positionmarked A in FIGURE 8 a long butt nib jack 9 is shown in the course ofbeing raised by the cam 22 and lifting the associated spacer element 10Without disturbing the aligned micro-mesh selector jack 8; as previouslymentioned this lack of disturbance of the jack 8 is made possible byvirtue of the presence of the space S between the lower extremity of thesaid jack and the tail portion of the element. But at position A thetail portion 10c is in the course of being closed up to the jack 8.However, by the time the nib jack under discussion has been raised tothe position marked B in FIGURES 7 and 8 the space S has disappeared butthe jack is fully raised so that a further space S has opened up betweenthe shouldered upper end 1th: of the element 10 and the upper extremityof the micro-mesh selector jack 8. As the first and the last of the longbutt nib jacks of the aforementioned central panel are raised by theraising cam 22, the rising nibs 9a of these two jacks will engage andelevate the short butts 9s of the immediately flanking short butt nibjacks at both of the opposite ends of the said central group, therebyraising these two short butt nib jacks to such a height as to land theirbutts on to a succeeding nib jack raising cam so that in turn thesejacks will be fully raised to raise the corresponding needles tosplicing height. This action will take place progressively, short buttnib jacks at opposite sides of the increasing central group beingsuccessively picked from the low position L until a desired widening ofa spliced area has been effected. FIGURE 5 illustrates, in detail, themanner in which the nib 9a of the first of a group of long butt nibjacks acts on the butt 9s of a flanking short butt nib jack. In short,the nib jacks 9 are so operatively disposed in relation to apredetermined group of the needles 2 that when a cam 22 at a feed isrendered operative, it initiates splicing by raising the panel of longbutt nib jacks, and the short butt nib jacks are then progressivelyraised, in conventional manner, to present the needles, correspondingly,to the splicing yarn whereby a shaped area of spliced fabric isproduced.

According to yet another feature of the invention, provision may be madein the machine for simultaneously actuating both the first and thesecond jacks associated with each of desired needles so that the needleselection produced by one needle selecting mechanism is superimposed onthe selection produced by the other needle selecting mechanism.

Thus where, as in the illustrated example, a micromesh needle selectingmechanism and also a nib jack splicing mechanism of the form alreadydescribed herein are provided vertically in alignment at one and thesame feed, the two mechanisms may, if desired, function together duringthe knitting of portions of a stocking having therein spliced areas. Insuch a case the nib jack selection is superimposed on the micro-meshselection so that whilst the actual spliced areas are plain knitted, thefabric immediately adjoining such areas are knitted in micro mesh. Thatis to say, as selected needles are raised by the nib jack system beyondclearing height, for splicing, the micro-mesh selection of the needlesis neutralised to produce plain knitting. This superimposition of asplicing selection on a micro-mesh selection is clearly illustrated inFIGURE 9.

Alternatively, a nib jack selection may be superimposed on normalclearing of the needles at one and the same feed so that both thespliced areas and the fabric immediately adjoining the same will beplain knitted. Such a superimposition of a splicing selection on normalclearing is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

In FIGURE 10 is shown a portion of a circularly knitted stocking blankof which t represents toe fabric Whilst 1 represents the foot bottomhaving a plain knitted spliced area sa within micro-mesh foot fabric inThe foot portion of such a blank is knitted by the superimposition on amicro-mesh selection of a splicing selection generally in the mannershown in FIGURE 9. However, since the illustrated spliced area soincludes two widenings w and w, the nib jack system necessary to produceit would have to include nib jacks having three ditferent lengths ofbutts, viz. long, medium and short, and each of the nib jack raisingcams 22 would have to be capable of being moved in to appropriatedifferent extents for suitable action upon such butts at the requiredtimes.

Now although the greatest advantage is derived from this invention whena micro-mesh selecting mechanism and a nib jack splicing mechanism arearranged in vertical alignment at one and the same feed, the inventionis not necessarily limited in this respect. For example, in a multi-feedmachine having an even number of feeds, micro-mesh needle selectingmechanisms provided at alternate feeds may be caused to function inconjunction with nib jack splicing mechanisms at the intervening feedsin which instance the areas which are reinforced by a splicing threadwould be knitted on a micro-mesh basis.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needle bed havingneedle grooves formed therein, a set of independent knitting needlesarranged to work in said grooves, two separate independently operableneedle selection mechanisms which are disposed at different heights,said two needle selecting mechanisms being adapted to elfect selectionsof needles for respectively different purposes, two separate andindependent needleactuating jacks to each needle requiring to beinfluenced by the said needle selecting mechanisms, said two jacks beingboth arranged in the same needle groove as, and thus in alignment with,the said needle and, interposed between said two jacks, a spacer elementwhich is also accommodated in the same groove as the needle but is soformed as to enable it to be acted upon and moved longitudinally, totransmit a corresponding movement to the needle, by either of the twoindependent selectively actuated jacks without disturbing the other.

2. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needle bed havingneedle grooves formed therein, a set of independent knitting needlesarranged to work in said grooves, two separate independently operableneedle selecting mechanisms which are provided at one needle selectinglocation and are disposed in alignment along a line perpendicular to theset of needles, said two needle selecting mechanisms being adapted toeffect selections of needles for respectively different purposes, twoseparate and independent needle-actuating jacks to each needle requiringto be influenced by the said needle selecting mechanisms, said two jacksbeing both arranged in the same needle groove as, and thus in alignmentwith, the said needle and, interposed between said two jacks, a spacerelement which is also accommodated in the same groove as the needle butis so formed as to enable it to be acted upon and moved longitudinally,to transmit a corresponding movement to the needle, by either of the twoindependent selectively actuated jacks without disturbing the other.

3. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needle bed havingneedle grooves formed therein, a set of independent knitting needlesarranged to work in said grooves, two separate independently operableneedle selecting mechanisms which are disposed at different heights,said two needle selecting mechanisms being adapted to effect selectionsof needles for respectively different purposes, a first and a secondneedle-actuating jack to each needle requiring to be influenced by thesaid needle selecting mechanisms, said two jacks being both arranged inthe same needle groove as the said needle, with the first jack disposedabove the second jack and, interposed between said two jacks, a spacerelement which is also accommodated in the same groove as the needle andhas a stem portion recessed not only to receive the first jack but alsoto provide a shoulder against which the upper end of the said first jackcan act and a tail portion against which the upper end of the secondjack can act, there being a space between this tail portion and thelower end of the first jack, whereby the spacer element can be movedlongitudinally, to transmit a corresponding movement to the needle, byeither of the two independent selectively actuated jacks withoutdisturbing the other.

4. A knitting machine according to claim 3, wherein the width of thestem portion of each spacer element combined with the width of theassociated first jack is substantially equivalent to the depth of therelevant needle groove, and the shouldered upper end and the tailportion of the said spacer element project forwardly from the stemportion thereof so as to present transverse shoulders to be acted uponby the first and second jacks respectively.

5. A knitting machine according to claim 3, wherein each of the spacerelements is itself furnished with a butt to enable it to be selectivelyactuated independently of the associated first and second jacks.

6. A knitting machine according to claim 3, wherein both the first andthe second jacks associated with desired needles are adapted to besimultaneously actuated so that the needle select-ion produced by oneneedle selecting mechanism is superimposed on the selection produced bythe other needle selecting mechanism.

7. A circular knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needlecylinder having needle grooves therein, a circle of independent knittingneedles arranged to work in said grooves, at each of desired feeds ofthe machine two separate independently operable needle selectingmechanisms which are disposed in alignment along a vertical lineperpendicular to the needle circle, said two needle selecting mechanismsbeing adapted to effect selections of needles for respectively differentpurposes, two separate and independent needle-actuating jacks to eachneedle requiring to be influenced by the said needle selectingmechanisms, said two jacks being both arranged in the same needle grooveas, and thus in alignment with, the said needle and, interposed betweensaid two jacks, a spacer element which is also accommodated in the samegroove as the needle but is so formed as to enable it to be acted uponand moved longitudinally, to transmit a corresponding movement to theneedle, by either of the two independent selectively actuated jackswithout disturbing the other.

8. A circular knitting machine according to claim 7, wherein the twoneedle selecting mechanisms at each feed are for the purposes ofproducing micro-mesh fabric and selective needle splicing respectively.

9. A circular knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needlecylinder having needle grooves therein, a circle of independent knittingneedles arranged to Work in said grooves, at each of desired feeds ofthe machine a micro-mesh needle selecting mechanism and an independentlyoperable selective needle splicing mechanism, these two mechanisms beingdisposed one above the other along a vertical line perpendicular to theneedle circle, said micro-mesh needle selecting mechanism comprisingjacks of a circular set of first selector jacks, one in alignment withand in the same groove as each needle, and furnished with patterningbutts differentiated from one another by virtue of their positionsheightwise on said jacks,

a bank of superimposed rotary drum discs at each feed corresponding innumber with the number of such patterning butt positions, said discsbeing peripherally contoured, gearing for driving the drum discs fromthe needle cylinder, and at each feed a corresponding bank ofselectively operable slides arranged to be acted upon by the discs andfor action selectively in turn upon the butts of the first selectorjack-s, and said selective needle splicing mechanism being in the formof a nib jack system comprising second jacks formed with nibs inaddition to operating butts, there being one of these nib jacks inalignment with and in the same groove as each of a group of the needles,and a cam system at each feed for controlling the second jacks forsplicing, and, interposed between the said first selector jack and thesecond jack associated with each of the appropriate needles, a spacerelement which is also accommodated in the same groove as said needle butis so formed as to enable it to be acted upon and moved longitudinally,to transmit a corresponding movement to the needle, by either of the twojacks without disturbing the other.

10. A circular knitting machine according to claim 8, wherein there isprovided at each feed a cam for action on predetermined patterning buttson said first selector jacks for raising all of the latter to tuckingheight whereby predetermined ones of these partially raised jacks canthen be raised from the tucking height to clearing height by theselective action of the slides upon the patterning butts.

11. A circular knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needlecylinder having needle grooves therein, a circle of independent knittingneedles arranged to work in said grooves, at each of desired feeds ofthe machine a micro-mesh needle selecting mechanism and an independentlyoperable selective needle splicing mechanism, these two mechanisms beingdisposed one above the other along a vertical line perpendicular to theneedle circle, said micro-mesh needle selecting mechanism comprisingjacks of a circular set of first selector jacks, one in alignment withand in the same groove as each needle, and furnished with diiferentiatedpatterning butts and means for selec tively acting upon said butts, andsaid selective needle splicing mechanism being in the form of a nib jacksystem comprising a group of second jacks formed with laterally directednibs in addition to operating butts and predetermined ones of the secondjacks having long operating butts while the remainder of such jacks haveshorter operating butts there being one of these second jacks inalignment with and in the same groove as each of a corresponding groupof the needles, and a cam system at each feed including a cam movable toactive and inactive positions for contact, when operative, with theoperating butts and so operatively disposed in relation to the saidgroup of needles and to a prearrangement of the operating butts and nibsthat when said cam is rendered operative it initiates the operation ofthe long butt jacks and the remaining second jacks are then operated topresent the needles, correspondingly, to a splicing yarn and, interposedbetween the said first selector jack and the second jack associated witheach of the appropriate needles, a spacer element which is alsoaccommodated in the same groove as said needle but is so formed as toenable it to be acted upon and moved longitudinally, to transmit acorresponding movement to the needle, by either of the two jacks withoutdisturbing the other.

12. For use in a knitting machine, a spacer element adapted to beinterposed between aligned first and second needle-actuating jacks, saidelement comprising a straight stem which is recessed at one edge toreceive one of said jacks, the recessing of said element being such asto provide at one end thereof a shoulder against which the leading endof the first jack can act and a protuberant tail portion against whichthe second jack can act, and the length of the recessing in relation tothe length of the first jack being such as to provide a space betweenthe tail end of said jack and the tail portion of the spacer element,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,459,157 Lawson June 19, 1923 1,670,791 Wildt et al May 22, 19281,779,239 Jones Oct. 21, 1930 2,995,910 Levin Aug. 15, 1961 3,004,413Felker Oct. 17, 196 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 574,290 Germany Apr. 12, 1933790,141 Great Britain Feb, 5, 1958

1. A KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A NEEDLE BED HAVINGNEEDLE GROOVES FORMED THEREIN, A SET OF INDEPENDENT KNITTING NEEDLESARRANGED TO WORK IN SAID GROOVES, TWO SEPARATE INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLENEEDLE SELECTION MECHANISMS WHICH ARE DISPOSED AT DIFFERENT HEIGHTS,SAID TWO NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS BEING ADAPTED TO EFFECT SELECTIONSOF NEEDLES FOR RESPECTIVELY DIFFERENT PURPOSES, TWO SEPARATE ANDINDEPENDENT NEEDLEACTUATING JACKS TO EACH NEEDLE REQUIRING TO BEINFLUENCED BY THE SAID NEEDLE SELECTING MECHANISMS, SAID TWO JACKS BEINGBOTH ARRANGED IN THE SAME NEEDLE GROOVE AS, AND THUS IN ALIGNMENT WITH,THE SAID NEEDLE AND, INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID TWO JACK, A SPACER ELEMENTWHICH IS ALSO ACCOMMODATED IN THE SAME GROOVE AS THE NEEDLE BUT IS SOFORMED AS TO ENABLE IT TO BE ACTED UPON AND MOVED LONGITUDINALLY, TOTRANSMIT A CORRESPONDING MOVEMENT TO THE NEEDLE, BY EITHER OF THE TWOINDEPENDENT SELECTIVELY ACTUATED JACKS WITHOUT DISTURBING THE OTHER.